Summer Chronicles part 1
by bets2010
Summary: Betty, Reggie, Jughead, Veronica, Archie and the rest of the Riverdale gang are separated for the first month of the summer before Senior year. The Summer Chronicles is a series, each focusing on a different pair in the gang. BettyxReg
1. Chapter 1

AN: I'm really not sure if this is a violation or not, but if it is, I really won't put anymore chapters up on this site. I just want to see if my plot idea/writing is any good, and want to get some honest feedback. So if anyone likes it, PM me and I'll be happy to send you the chapters individually. Or if anyone knows of another site where I could post this, let me know as well. Again: I REALLY don't want anyone to get sued over this!

_The last day of school is usually highly anticipated by the students and faculty of Riverdale High. The teens are looking forward to three months of lolling by the beach, water sports and summer barbecues in good old Riverdale. Even Veronica doesn't have plans to jet off to any exotic destinations this summer. They charge out as the final bell rings, chattering excitedly about their summer plans. _

'Man! I thought the Bee deliberately slowed down all the clocks in school today. Was it just me, or was did it take longer than usual for the bell to ring' Jughead Jones practically drools in anticipation of the thick milkshakes and plate of burgers waiting for him at Pop Tates, earning an amused smile from Betty Cooper and Reggie Mantle, who are walking with him. His best friend, Archie had, as usual, taken off to drive Veronica Lodge home; she needed to change into 'hanging out' clothes before joining them at Pop's. For some reason, the idea of his friend slavishly following the brunette all summer irks Jug slightly. Almost enough for him to lose his appetite. Almost.

"A watched pot never boils, Juggie" Betty smiles at him, ruffling his hair affectionately. Despite his unending appetite, Jughead's always been counted as one of her dearest friends, and almost like a second brother to her. He'd bulked up slightly, over the course of junior year, and had for unfathomable reasons improved his dressing, but to her, she'd always be the same Jughead Jones who had eaten her mud pies the day he moved to Riverdale.

Her affectionate gesture is, for some reason, not appreciated by the third member of their little trio. Reggie Mantle, star athlete (in his own words) frowns slightly watching his friends tease each other. He doesn't know why he's so uncomfortable at the thought of Betty's hand being on old Spindle snoot's head, and this makes him even more uncomfortable. He's used to being smooth, knowing exactly what his next move would be. In the last six months, however, he'd had this… strange feeling around his blonde friend. Had her eyes always been this blue? Had her hair always been this shiny? Since the term started, he'd been noticing troubling things about Betty. How her smile, for instance, was so sweet, genuine and effortless, he could often lose his train of thought just looking at it. How, when she got excited about something she was talking about, she would gesture animatedly with a variety of facial expressions that would make him smile, even when she was talking about global warming or terrorism. The most troubling discovery over the last six months, however, had been how her face would suddenly pop into his head whenever he tried to hit on Midge or any other girl in school. It was like he was losing his mojo, for some reason, because none of these girls measured up to Betty, there wasn't much of a point in asking them out.

Oblivious to her friend's inner turmoil, Betty continues gabbling with Jughead about the summer. "And then Archie PROMISED we would go to ALL the summer festivals together…"

At the mention of the red headed teen, Reggie begins to grind his teeth. _And THAT'S why you can't fall for her, Mantle. Even though old Carrot Top's currently juggling FOUR girls BESIDES Betty, she'll still never give anyone else a shot. Even if that someone else can't even seem to be able to FORCE himself to ask anyone else out_. Unconsciously, Reggie lets out a sigh, earning a look from Jughead.

Concerned, Betty takes his hand and looks at him, questioning him with her eyes. He'd been looking at her strangely the last few months, and had been strangely quiet around the other girls. Almost in a panic, he looks back at her, snatching his hand from hers, gulping nervously. Nervously? Reggie Mantle didn't do nervous. And red was not his color!

'I-I-I'm sorry Bets… I think I-I need to go home. And lie down. That's it. I-I'm… sick…'

'Suuure you are' Jughead's snort is derisive. He may walk around with his eyes closed all the time, but he isn't blind. He's been observing Reggie's behavior around Betty with some interest for awhile now, and had started a pool with Frankie, Chuck and Moose as to when 'The Great One' would crack. Moose had been highly enthusiastic about the idea of Reggie happily going off with Betty and never bothering his Midge again. Jughead, surprisingly, had found himself starting to respect Reggie as he observed the former womanizer completely ignore other girls and focus on Betty. He gave her more respect and attention in six months than Jughead's thick headed best friend had in years, and almost against his will, Jughead had found himself rooting for him. He thought the world of Betty, and wanted to see her happy, with someone who actually loved her and would take care of her.

"Are you sure you're OK? You're all red." Betty's brow is furrowed with concern. Reggie gulps as he looks into her beautiful blue eyes. NO. HE CANNOT FIND HER CUTE WHEN SHE IS WORRIED ABOUT HIM! HE CANNOT!

'I- think I'd better go lie down. Must be the temperature. It's suddenly very warm in here' tugging at his already unbuttoned shirt collar, Reggie gulps. He's not used to being nervous. And he's not used to thinking troubling thoughts about a girl who was obviously out of his league.

'I think you should go home too, Reg. You do look sick' Jughead smirks.

'I do NOT! I look fine, Spindle Snoot' Reggie snarls in response.

"Reggie… you just said you were sick and needed to lie down" Betty is really worried now. Was short term memory loss a sign of heatstroke? He did look flushed.

'I-I'm…'

'I think you're a very sick man Reg… and I DON'T think you should go home alone. Bets, could you walk him, in case he passes out in the street?' Jughead winks at a very very surprised Reggie, before turning off and heading in the direction of the Chocklit Shoppe.

"Reggie… Reg.. are you really OK? Do you need to sit down?" Betty loops a protective arm around him as he pales in recognition of two facts: a) Jughead Jones just did him a favor and b) Jughead KNOWS. Reggie doesn't know which shocks him more – he does know he's enjoying having Betty look after him, maybe a little too much. He also knows he needs to regain his cool, pronto.

'I-I'm fine Bets, maybe a little lightheaded. Then again, who wouldn't be in the presence of such a vision of loveliness as yourself,' theatrically, Reggie drops to one knee. When all else fails, goof around, was his motto. Giggling, Betty pulls him to his feet and they walk in the direction of his house, with Betty holding on to his arm protectively. They joke about school and their classmates and have just settled into a comfortable lull in their conversation when Betty suddenly speaks, in a slightly serious tone.

"Reg.. can I ask you something?"

'Yeah…' Reggie is slightly dubious. No good has ever, in his experience, come out of a girl _asking him something_ with that serious look on her face.

"You've been acting weird since school started… you've stopped hitting on Midge, on all the girls really. Is there something bothering you?"

'Yes…' Reggie looks into her blue eyes seriously, feeling his heart start to thump wildly.

"What's wrong?" Betty lays a gentle hand on his shoulder as she smiles encouragingly at him. She'd been spending a lot of time with Reggie this term; for some reason, whenever Archie dumped her, he'd miraculously show up at her house, with a ready smile and flowers. They'd gone skating, on picnics, even to the theatre and the Riverdale petting zoo. She was starting to get to know him better, and had started to care about him deeply. She wanted to know if there was anything wrong. If she could help.

'I'm… gay…' trying hard to keep a straight face, Reggie howls with laughter as he catches the look of shock on Betty's face. He tries to look contrite as she whacks him on the shoulder, trying not to laugh herself as she looks at him.

'Not.. hahahah… that there's anything wrong with being gay… hahahhahaha but the look on your face! It was CLASSIC, Bets' Reggie has to grab her shoulder as he doubles over with laughter.

"It would explain SO much.. are you sure?" Betty's eyes twinkle as she suppresses a small smile.

'Do you need me to prove it to you?' Feeling some of his old cockiness, Reggie grabs Betty's hand and spins her towards him, trying to ignore his accelerating heartbeat. He brings his face closer and closer to hers, gulping slightly as he pauses just before their lips touch.

"Reginald Mantle!"

'MOM!'


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I decided to post here after all. It's really distracting for readers to have to read/receive individual chapters. Plus, as there are other Archie fics floating around, I guess it'll be OK. If it's not allowed, though, I'll remove and go back to my original plan of sending out individual chapters as I write them to interested parties. Meanwhile, hope you enjoy this, please r/r!

Grumbling Reggie moves around his room, kicking furniture and tossing clothes into a suitcase. Did his mom HAVE to come home from work when she did? He was ALMOST positive Betty wouldn't have minded if he'd kissed her. Of course, her mortification at being caught by his mother, cute as it was, ensured that he would probably NOT be getting another chance to come close to her anytime soon. His conversation with his parents when he'd entered the house was, however, what made him FUMING mad.

_Flashback:_

'_Son, we've got good news for you. Your father's major clients have invited the whole family to stay at their ranch in Texas for a month. We'll be leaving tomorrow.'_

"_Tomorrow? Aw man, Mom tomorrow Arch and I were going to take Betty and Veronica to the fair. Besides, isn't a month kind of long to be away from good old Riverdale?"_

'_I thought you'd enjoy it… I know how much you love riding' Reggie's father sounds perplexed. _

"_What's the point if Betty- I mean there are no girls around to see it?" _

'_Girls, girls, girls. Don't you EVER think about your family? You're GOING, and that's final!' _

Reggie's father had stormed off in a huff, while Reggie himself stomped up to his room to noisily pack. He knows his father has a bit of a temper, and he clearly wasn't in the mood to be reasoned with. It didn't stop Reggie from muttering about tyranny and totalitarianism as he packed though, much to the amusement of his mother who had quietly entered his room to talk to her son.

'I see the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.'

Reggie looks up sullenly at his mother's gentle smile. He refuses to speak as he now quietly throws pairs of jeans and shirts in his suitcase.

'I don't think the jeans did anything to offend you…'

"Mom, a whole month?"

'The last I checked there aren't any tsunamis scheduled for next month. Riverdale will still be here when we get back.'

"They'll probably be married by then" Reggie grumbles under his breath.

'Oh, I don't know. I think she might surprise you'

"Ya think? I mean… who?"

'The one who will probably be married'

"Mom…"

'I'll just tell you this… if she's worth it, she'll definitely wait for you. And if there's one thing anyone can say about Betty Cooper, it's that she's worth it.'

Sighing, Reggie looks at his mother, who is giving him the trademark Mantle smirk.

"nnghhh" Reggie isn't really comforted by his mother's words. After all, Betty doesn't even know how he feels. There's no way she'd wait around for a month, for a guy she wasn't even technically dating, with old carrot top around. At the thought of his red headed rival, Reggie becomes angry again, and it takes all his self control not to punch the wall.

'Besides… your father was really looking forward to this trip.'

"Mmmm" Reggie is non committal. He's still upset at the thought of being whisked away for a month with horses and cacti, while Carrot head made time with HIS Betty.

'He was so excited, and thought you'd be too. You're going off to college next year, and he sees this as one of the rare times he gets to spend time with his only son.'

"mmm" Now Reggie feels guilty. He didn't think the trip would mean THAT much to his dad, and he certainly didn't think he'd be disappointed when Reggie didn't want to go. They never went on trips like Veronica's family anyway. He makes a halfhearted complaining noise as his mother leans forward to kiss her son's cheek and leaves the room, to talk to her husband. She hopes Betty knows what she's getting herself into; these Mantle men could be a handful sometimes.

Meanwhile, at the Andrews residence, Archie is talking to his mother about the Andrews summer plans.

'Son, we got so lucky! Imagine, a month long Caribbean cruise!'

"But mom… I can't be away from my girls for so long. Someone like Reggie might snap Veronica up, and that Jason Blossom has always had a thing for Betty."

'There will be plenty of girls on the island, son. Besides, we're only one of two families in this town to win this trip. Wouldn't it be lovely if the Coopers won as well? Then you could spend some time with Betty, the sun, the sand…' Mary Andrews made no secret of her preference for Betty Cooper among her son's girlfriends. She was beautiful, smart, kind and sweet and she disapproved of how he treated her like a spare tire most of the time. If the Coopers weren't going on this trip with them, she planned to have a long talk with her son, and hopefully make him see the error of his ways where Betty was concerned.

"Hmmm, maybe." Archie shrugs and bounds up the stairs, his mind already on a sunny Caribbean isle, surrounded by beach babes feeding him grapes and fanning him, as their very honored guest and prize winner. He thinks he's going to enjoy this trip.

"Anyway, it's only a month. What can possibly happen in a month?" He reasons as he starts to pack.

"What do you mean, you're going away for a month?"

'You COULD be happy for me, Ron. I don't get to go on vacation very often…' Once again, Betty is slightly miffed at her best friend's attitude. For the first time in years, her family was going on a trip, while Veronica's family remained in Riverdale, and Ron couldn't even pretend to be pleased for her.

"But Betty…"

'Yes…'

"I don't think I'm going to make it for a whole month without you" Veronica finishes quietly. Showing her soft spot for her best friend wasn't fashionable, but Veronica can't help it. She's never gone this long without her in Riverdale, and even on her own family vacations she'd missed the blonde she'd come to see as a sister. She didn't like admitting it though.

'It's only going to be a month, Ron… besides, you'll have Archie to keep you company..' Betty softens at her best friend's tone. For all her aggravating traits, Veronica did truly care for her, and Betty knows how lonely her best friend could get.

"Pfftt… he's going on some dreadfully dull trip too, apparently. Besides, it's YOU I'm going to miss, not him! Promise me you'll call often."

'Ron… I don't exactly have the money to burn on long distance calls, you know?'

"Call collect! Betty, whose going to help me pick out my outfits and decide which gorgeous hunk I should date for the summer?"

'Aaaand she's back' Betty grins slightly into the phone. Veronica may have a vulnerable side, but she was still Ron Lodge, and Betty was pleased that _that_ at least, wouldn't change.

They talk for another hour about clothes, boys and the latest gossip before Veronica offers to come over and help Betty pack for her trip. Betty can't do without _her_ fashion advice, she insists, although she really just wants to spend some time with her best friend


	3. Chapter 3

Reggie arrives at the ranch the next morning. He and his dad aren't used to having heart to heart talks, so they are trying to make up for the previous day's argument by being extra chipper.

"Hey dad, check out that palomino. That's going to be my horse for the summer"

'She is a beauty isn't she? Look at that golden mane. Harris, you must have some really good ranch hands. This place is amazing.' Turning to his investor, and host for the evening, Ricky Mantle smiles. It's nice to see his son so enthusiastic about something on this trip at last. Meanwhile, his wife stifles a smile. Her son is still watching the horse with a slightly dreamy expression. Men could be so clueless.

"Who owns the next ranch?"

'My old friend Bob owns it but he rented it to a young couple for the summer. Apparently the wife's parents and sister are coming over soon as well. Might be some company for young Reggie over here' Mr. Harris, Ricky Mantle's investor smiles at Reggie, who is lifted out of his reverie.

"Maybe…" Reggie shrugs. He's not really interested in spending too much time with a girl who isn't Betty. Yes, he is that pathetic. He doesn't know why, but he is.

'If your son's interested in riding though, we have a new ranch hand who's a fantastic trick rider. Hey, Hal- get over here'

Reggie looks up as a tall, well built cowboy walks out of a barn and joins the little group. He's got a healthy tan, and shaggy honey blonde hair with piercing blue eyes. He looks to be in his early to mid twenties, and Reggie's willing to bet that he's got most of the farm girls and tourists in the area eating out of his hand. There's something about this ranch hand that appeals to Reggie, though. He doesn't know what it is, but he likes him, in a strictly non Brokeback Mountain kind of way.

"Howdy Mr. Harris. This the new guy you were talking about? Reggie Mantle?" Hal looks at Reggie appraisingly, with a thoughtful look in his eye.

"That's me…" The way this cowboy was looking at him was slightly suspicious to Reggie Mantle. He seemed to be trying to figure something out.

"You like the palomino, huh?"

"Well after some chores I'll be happy to take you for a ride around the ranch" The cowboy finally breaks into a friendly smile and holds out a fist for Reggie to punch. Relieved, Reggie punches his fist. He didn't want to waste his entire vacation moping around, and this cowboy seemed like he would be good company. At the very least, he would learn some riding tricks he could use to impress Betty- I mean all the girls in Riverdale.

The next morning, Reggie sleeps in. He'd woken up several times during the night, with weird dreams. In one, he'd been riding with Betty on the palomino around the ranch in the moonlight. They'd stopped the horse just in front of a moonlit lake. He'd just been about to lean in for a kiss when he'd wake up. Other less pleasant dreams involved Betty making out with Archie in the tunnel of love back at the Riverdale fair. It was ironic that Archie got to kiss Betty in Reggie's dreams, while Reggie couldn't. It was also ironic that the common thread in all his dreams that night was Betty Cooper. Sighing, Reggie brushes his teeth and makes his way downstairs, where he's met with the welcome smell of freshly made pancakes.

'Sweet… pancakes!'

"Our new neighbours very kindly brought them over this morning while you were sleeping" Reggie's mother seems to be hiding a smile as she speaks.

'Oh… that family's moved in. Well they've got a good chef in there somewhere. These are amazing' Reggie's appetite, while not quite as vociferous as Jugheads, was still that of a typical teenaged boy. And he knew how to appreciate good food.

"Their teenaged daughter made them. SUCH a talented girl, and so pretty too! Reggie, you or Hal should definitely consider snapping that one up." Mrs. Harris seems to be very impressed with their new neighbour. Reggie's mother, on the other hand, seems to be stifling a laugh as she sees the expression of disinterest on her son's face.

'Mmm… I might leave her for Hal… can't grab ALL the chicks in Texas, I've got my hands full with all the Riverdale babes' Reggie smirks, earning an amused glare from his mother. She seems to be about to say something, then thinks the better of it and keeps quiet.

"Anyway, they've invited us over to their ranch for a Texas barbecue tonight" Reggie's mother is, again, stifling a laugh as she speaks.

'Hal and I were going to take the cattle out today. We won't be back until midnight. Guess I can't go.' Reggie can't remember the last time he was more interested in spending time with cows than a cute girl, but he supposed it was due to the case of acute Betty-itis he seemed to have caught lately. In a roundabout way, he supposed this month away from ALL girls would help him get his head on straight.

"Reginald Mantle, where are your manners? They invited us, and we're ALL going. Hal can survive without you for one day." Reggie's mother's voice was stern, but there was a glimmer of amusement in her eye that made him slightly suspicious. Shrugging, he heads out to inform Hal he won't be joining him that day.

_Reggie finds his new friend in the barn, saddling the palomino._

"OK, Betsy, you're ready for the trail."

'Betsy?'

"Yeah.. old man Harris named the horse after his wife. How original, right?"

'Haha tell me about it. Although with a beautiful horse like this, Mrs. Harris should take it as a compliment.'

"Yeah she did…"

'The name Betsy reminds me of a guy back home though.'

"Really… a guy" Hal quirks his eyebrow at the scowling teenager.

'Yeah. A jerk who wouldn't know a good thing if it bit him in the face.'

"Let me guess… your boyfriend?" Hal seems to be stifling a laugh at the look of horror on Reggie's face.

'NO. Not that, you know, there's anything wrong with it. I just don't swing that way, man. I dig chicks.'

"Well, last night you completely ignored Randy's three cute daughters, not that I was complaining, and you didn't seem interested in meeting this new girl who's supposedly come into town."

'It's complicated is all.'

"Uh huh."

'Look… there's this girl back home.'

"I thought you said you were single."

'I am… she's just a friend.'

"And this friend is keeping you from being interested in other girls." Hal's ears have pricked up. It's a little known fact that guys do gossip as much as girls.

'It's just. For the last six months I've been seeing her everywhere. Everytime I even look at another girl, all they do is remind me of how beautiful, smart, sweet, talented, kind-'

"Six months, huh?" Hal is beginning to feel sorry for the poor kid.

"You never thought of asking HER out?"

'I'm not THAT stupid. We've gone out lots of times, though it's usually when Jerk Face stands her up.'

"Jerk Face?"

'Archie Andrews.'

At the sound of the name, Hal drops the saddle bag he'd been carrying on his foot. He seems shocked, and slightly perturbed as he silently stares at Reggie.

'The loser makes dates with her and blows her off for practically every girl in town. He chases ANYTHING in a skirt, and he only actually takes Betty out when the others reject him, or when anyone else shows any interest in her.' Reggie begins to rant, kicking at an overturned bucket on the ground for good measure. Hal seems even more shocked, and it's a few moments before he's able to speak.

"B-b-betty?"

'Yeah… that's her name. She's beautiful, with bright blue eyes and a smile like an angel's.' Reggie's eyes glow as an image of her appears in his head. 'She's a cheerleader, gymnast, top soccer AND basketball player, an excellent writer, an amazing cook… and she cares about EVERYONE. Literally everyone. Unfortunately she's so hung up on Jerk Face Andrews she doesn't take anyone else seriously. Which is why I can't fall for her.' Reggie finishes up quietly, eyes downcast.

Recovering from his apparent shock, Hal suddenly feel immensely sorry for the boy in front of him. He doesn't have the heart to state the obvious: that Reggie has fallen for her. Hard.

"I guess all you can do is try to be yourself around her. And if she's as smart as you say, she may wise up over the summer."

'I guess so' Reggie shrugs. Maybe his not being around would make her miss him, like he was starting to miss her.

"Meanwhile, it sounds like I've got dibs on the new girl right?" Hal's eyes seem to be hiding a spark of mischief that is lost on Reggie.

'Dude, apparently she's my age!'

"She could be a mature seventeen." Hal winks as he mounts the palomino and rides off, leaving Reggie shaking his head. A year ago, he'd have considered Hal the perfect role model and wing man.


	4. Chapter 4

_Several hours later, Reggie Mantle is in full cowboy attire, complete with ten gallon hat. He'd spent a lot of time riding around the ranch that afternoon, and had gained a bit of perspective. He didn't know what these new feelings were for Betty, but they were more real than anything he'd experienced in a long time. All the years of skirt chasing had helped him to realize what it was he'd always wanted: someone kind, sweet, considerate, smart… who had a few things in common with him. In other words: Betty. He'd always enjoyed their dates to dances and other school events where Archie and Veronica had paired off. He hadn't even noticed Veronica in the last few months. He supposed Hal was right – all he could do was be himself around Betty, and hope she realized a few things about him as well. Meanwhile though, he wasn't going to mope and spoil his parents vacation. Hence the cowboy get up. Mantle the Magnificent was back._

"Reginald Mantle – I hope you're satisfied. We are late. Your father has gone ahead with the Harrises in their car; we'd best be leaving too." Mrs. Mantle was trying to sound stern, but she was secretly excited. She just couldn't wait to see the look on her son's face when he found out what she knew.

"Buh-buh-b-betty?" Reggie is in shock. He'd arrived with his mom to be greeted at the door by a familiar blonde in a short fringed skirt, white shirt, vest and matching cowboy hat. His mouth drops open when he sees her mischievous smile, as his mother bursts into peals of laughter. Oh, they were good.

'Hi Reggie,' Betty smiles sweetly at the wannabe cowboy in front of her. She doesn't want to admit it, but she'd kind of missed his goofy conversations in the last couple of days. For about a month before school let out, they'd been talking on the phone for hours every night, cracking each other up into the wee hours. When he'd called to tell her about his trip, she'd decided to surprise him by not telling him of her own. The look of shock on his face was worth it – although it did make her inexplicably shy.

"Howdy Miss Cooper. I believe it's plumb rude of me not to escort a pretty lady like yourself through the house to that there barbecue," with his trademark finesse, Reggie removes his hat and makes a sweeping gesture, offering his arm to Betty, who is rolling her eyes but also smiling slightly.

'Ah do declare, it would be mah plezyure, Ah'm sure,' Betty uses her best Southern twang and takes his arm as they make their way through the house, followed by an amused and pleased Mrs. Mantle.

As the remaining Mantles enter the backyard of the Cooper's rented ranch, Reggie makes polite conversation with Betty's father and brother in law who are seated along with his dad and Mr. Harris, but his eyes keep straying to where Betty is tending the barbecue. Jim, Betty's brother in law, is the first to notice this, and with a smirk, decides to say something.

'Looks like you don't trust our Betty's cooking, the way you keep eyeing the grill over there.'

"More like I feel like a chauvinist, sitting here while she works the grill alone." Reggie may have been off form lately, but it is still almost impossible to win one over him.

'I see. In the interest of equal rights, maybe you'd like to help her..' Jim is having a hard time holding back his laughter now. He knows just how Reggie's feeling – he'd been mooning over Polly the same way in the newspaper office for months before finally asking her out. Unfortunately for Reggie, it seemed as though cluelessness ran in the family. Betty seemed completely oblivious to his staring, which was becoming rather blatant.

With a semi grateful smile, Reggie makes his way over to the grill, putting his game face on. 'Charm, don't fail me now' he mutters under his breath as he approaches Betty.

"Miss Betty, such heavy work was not meant for such tender hands" Reggie puts on his best Clint Eastwood voice as he takes skewers from the very surprised blonde.

'Thank you kindly sir, but Ah do think ah can handle a good skewer' Betty's accent is as thick as Reggie's. The two teens were the top students in the Riverdale High drama club, and had often played lead roles alongside each other.

"So little Betty Cooper can handle a skewerin, can she?" Reggie's sudden grin causes Betty to start and blush as she catches his innuendo.

Betty is, however, determined to get the last word. She doesn't know what it is about Reggie that brings out the slightly saucier side of Betty Cooper, but she responds by drawing close to whisper in his ear, 'Wouldn't you like to know?' Drawing back, she's pleased to see his ears turn red as she tries to ignore the slight jump in her pulse by smiling devilishly.

"You're good" Reggie is forced to acknowledge, once he'd recovered the power of speech.

'I learned from the best… and I can't believe I just said that' Betty covers her face in her hands. She's never been THAT brazen before.

Despite the fact that he finds her impossibly cute at that moment, he gives her a gentle jab in the side with a spare skewer.

'Ow'

"Come on out… we need to see those baby blues"

'Five bucks says he cracks before you guys are back in Riverdale' Jim and the rest of the 'guys' table have been watching the little tete a tete with interest.

"You're on… Reggie Mantle will probably move on to some farmgirl by tomorrow" Hal Cooper scowls. He's protective of his baby daughter, especially since she'd had her heart broken by that clod of a redhead, Archie Andrews enough times back home.

'You know, I wouldn't be too sure about that' Ricky Mantle is thoughtful. Reggie had clearly matured in the last year. He'd actually started submitting articles for his dad's paper, and had put some serious time into college preps. Also, he'd stopped maxing out his credit card. Ricky Mantle is starting to wonder if the blonde teenager in front of him wasn't responsible for his son's newfound steadiness. If so, he wanted her to stick around.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Betty Cooper is awakened by a shrill ringing of her cell phone at about 6am. Too early, even for her. Especially in the summer. After the barbecue, she'd taken Reggie for a walk around Polly's rented ranch. For some reason, she'd been smiling all night, replaying some of his goofy antics in her head.

_Flashback:_

'_C'mon Bets… Vegas isn't TOO far from here. And wouldn't you want to start the school year as Betty Mantle?'_

"_Well… that WOULD give Ms Grundy a bit of a shock when she's calling roll"_

And there was the moment Reggie had twirled her around and attempted to square dance. Of course, with only two dancers there wasn't much opportunity for switching partners, not that Betty had minded. She'd learned in the last few months how much fun Reggie could be, and spending time with him had thought her to loosen up a little. Unfortunately, staying up all night reliving the fun moments of the night before had led her to be fairly annoyed at whoever was waking her up right now. Without checking her caller ID, she answers sleepily.

'Hey babe, what's up,'

"Reggie!" Betty is suddenly awake.

'I always pictured Betty Cooper as an early riser. Though you DO sound cute when you're half asleep,'

"Mmm hmmm. I didn't think you'd be up, Mantle. Don't you need your beauty sleep?"

Reggie can almost see Betty's grin as she speaks. 'Touche Cooper.'

Laughing, Betty finds herself wishing he was in front of her, so she could whack him on the arm or pinch him. She can imagine his characteristic smirk as he speaks.

'Check this, Hal's taking part in the Texas Rodeo today. I schmoozed a ride out of him, so be ready in 30 minutes.' Reggie's fingers are crossed as he thinks to himself '_Please say yes,_'

"I MIGHT have plans, Reg"

'And I MIGHT have to come down and kidnap you. Come on, Bets, you're not going to leave me vulnerable to all the crazy cowgirls in this town. They'd probably mob a hunk like me. You could be the cause of a riot,'

"And wouldn't you like that" Betty isn't sure why she's beginning to feel a slight twinge at the thought of Reggie surrounded by farmgirls and teen cowgirls.

'I'd rather show up with the prettiest cowpoke in Texas. What say, Bets?'

"I guess you're leaving me with no choice" the smile in Betty's voice is evident, and Reggie almost slumps over in relief. He doesn't remember when it's been this hard to actually ask a girl out.

'None whatsoever'

"It's a date, then. I'll see you in half an hour." Betty smiles into the phone as she hangs up on a very surprised Reggie. For some reason, she's whistling as she gets dressed, unaware that down the road, a dark haired teen is doing the same.

That night, Reggie frowns to himself as he tosses and turns on his bed. The day out with Betty had gone remarkably well; he really had nothing to be upset about. After Hal left them to join the other participants, he had a good time touring the exhibits with Betty. They had bought candy floss, played some carnival games; they'd had a competition going on who would win the most stuffed animals. And he'd never been so relaxed goofing off with a girl when watching the rodeo performances. That day had reinforced what made Betty so special in his eyes: She was a beautiful girl who was comfortable in her own skin. She didn't need for him to spend a lot of money on expensive restaurants and gifts; she was perfectly happy joking around with him over hot dogs and cotton candy. Yes, the date had gone well. Unfortunately, Reggie didn't quite like Betty's reaction on seeing his cowboy friend.

_Flashback:_

_Reggie can't help but stare as Betty leaves the house and bounds towards Hal's truck. 'What is that girl trying to do to me?' he wonders as he eyes her fitted embroidered blouse and short white skirt. To say Elizabeth Cooper was a babe was probably putting it mildly. Betty had turned to him with a smile lighting up her face, until Hal clears his throat._

_Turning towards him, Betty seems startled for a second, and stares openly. Hal, too, is staring at Betty, taking in her short skirt, to Reggie's annoyance. They both seem to be looking at each other in silence for awhile, causing Reggie to clear his throat as well._

'_Pardon me, Miss. It's mighty rude of me not to introduce myself. I'm Hal, the ranch hand, and your driver for the day.' Hal takes off his cowboy hat and winks at Betty, as his honey colored hair falls over his eyes. Reggie is slightly alarmed when he notices how good Hal looks today, and sees Betty smile at him, as if in a daze, before responding._

"_Pleased to make your acquaintance… Hal." Betty's voice seems to be hiding a laugh, which annoys Reggie further. Surely Betty wasn't going to fall for his Southern gentleman trick. _

_Not noticing Reggie's hard glare, Hal helps a smiling Betty into the back of the truck, whispering something in her ear as Reggie clenches his fists so tightly his knuckles turn white._

'And then he had the NERVE to hug her when we dropped her off. For at least five minutes, like he didn't want to let go.' Reggie fumes to his pillow. Frustrated, he decides to go for a walk around the ranch.

As Reggie walks around the property, muttering to himself about lousy cradle snatchers and crazy cowboys, he notices a light in the barn. Curious, he walks closer to investigate.

'Come on Betty, why are you even giving him the time of day. You should be spending time with someone more mature than THAT. You deserve SO much more.'

Reggie's heart seems to stop as he hears Hal's voice. The silence that meets the cowboy's statement chills Reggie to the bone: it's almost as if Betty is considering taking this STRANGER seriously. He strains to hear her answer, and is surprised to hear a sudden, familiar sounding scream.

Without thinking, Reggie rushes in the barn, his arms widening as he sees Hal with his arms around Betty, with her hair in loose waves around her face and in a pair of blue pajamas. She's rubbing her head, and he's got his arms around her.

"GET YOUR PAWS OFF BETTY!" before anyone can react to his sudden presence, Reggie has pushed his former friend away from the blonde, and is angrily jabbing him in the chest.

'Dude… ease up' Hal seems taken aback, 'we were just talking'

"She's seventeen years old, you jerk. What would you be doing dragging her out of bed to a lonely barn in the middle of the night,"

'Reggie…' Betty tries to interject, but Reggie has already punched her companion in the eye.

Hal, angry now, retaliates, and the boys are engaged in an all out brawl until they are interrupted by a shrill whistle.

"If the two of you don't stop right now I'm walking back to Polly's ranch."

'B-but Bets… you don't know what he's like. He's a real lady killer out here. And he brought you here in the middle of the night. He was going to HURT you.' Reggie is wounded by Betty's apparent sympathy for the would be rapist.

Sighing softly, Betty looks at Hal, and receives a slight nod from him in response.

"Reggie… he ASKED me to meet him here tonight when he was helping me into the truck."

Reggie's blood turns cold at this. 'Oh… I didn't know… so… I guess… I shouldn't have interrupted your little date then. Have fun, and don't forget to use protection, you don't know where THIS rodeo clown has been.' He knows he sounds bitter, but doesn't really care at this stage. He's about to turn around and leave when he hears both Hal cracking up behind him.

'B-b-bets… he thought…'

'You know her for a day, and she's already Bets?'

"Stop it, Chick" Betty glares at the blond cowboy, who is still laughing hysterically, before turning to Reggie with a concerned look. He seems really angry, and totally confused at the same time. Moving towards him, she rubs his back, waiting for him to say something.

'Chick?'

"Yes.."

'B-but isn't that?'

"Yup.. you just gave my brother a black eye."


	6. Chapter 6

For the first time in Betty's memory, Reggie is completely shocked silent. He looks as if he doesn't know if he should run away or apologize. Feeling sorry for him, Betty speaks up.

'Chick, I'll explain everything to him as he walks me back to Polly's ranch. It's really late, and Mom might wake up in the middle of the night and find me missing. She's liable to send out a search warrant.'

"Dude, I REALLY had no idea… I'm sorry, man" Reggie steps forward to shake "Hal"'s hand, his face mortification personified.

'It's cool. You thought I was a sleazy twenty five year old hitting on a minor, and you were just trying to look out for her,' Chick shakes Reggie's hand, animosity forgotten. He gives the teenager an appraising look before continuing, 'I think we should have a little chat when you get back, though'

Gulping, Reggie nods silently. As he walks out of the barn with Betty, he curses silently that he didn't recognize Betty's brother. True, he did work with the CIA, and Reggie hadn't seen him in years. Betty and her parents usually visited him in Washington whenever he was in the country. And he had bulked up since he left Riverdale. Reggie's black eye and throbbing jaw attested to that. They walk in silence for a few minutes, before Betty cuts in, gently.

'He'd been here on a mission to foil a terrorist plot at the rodeo. Hal was his cover. Polly didn't tell him we were all coming out here; she assumed he'd be off in a remote part of the world by now.'

"I can't believe I didn't recognize him. He doesn't look _that_ different"

'It was the accent. He could have fooled anyone. Besides, he's buffed up a little in training, as I'm sure you noticed,' Betty eyes her companion with mischief, wincing slightly when she sees the swelling on his jaw.

"You're telling me"

'Don't worry, Reg. You're still a lady killer'

Reggie tries to smile at Betty's mischievous grin, but finds it too painful. Noticing his discomfort, Betty looks up at him in sympathy before inviting him into the house to get fixed up.

"Bets, I already got beaten up by your brother. I don't want to add your father and brother in law to the list."

'I'll just tell them you got hit foiling an attempted kidnap attempt.' Betty grins in a matter of fact manner.

"Well, I guess I can't let any damage to THIS handsome face go untreated. The girls of Riverdale would be heartbroken."

Allowing himself to be led into the house where he is seated on the couch, as Betty heads upstairs to get a first aid kit, Reggie muses on how nice it is to be actually taken care of by a girl. Most of the girls he's dated have generally been concerned with what HE could give them; flowers, and expensive night out, a ride in his convertible. Some dated him because he could handle high society, and looked good in a tux. Others, like Midge, flirted with him and enjoyed his attention, but would never go out of their way for him. He'd always secretly envied Archie whenever Betty made him cookies or offered to help him fix his junkyard on wheels.

Now, however, Betty's attention is solely on him as she presses a cold compress on his eye and dabs at some of the cuts on his forehead with peroxide. As she leans forward and blows gently on the cuts, he looks up at her in wonder. Blushing, she prepares another cold compress for his jaw, and holds it there gently.

'It's a silly little habit of mine. For some reason, whenever Mom did that on all my scrapes and cuts, the sting would go away,' she ducks her head shyly as she speaks, 'you probably think it's really lame.'

"Actually, I think it's sweet. And it does work," despite his throbbing jaw, Reggie manages a smile.

"Although if you kissed the boo boos, they'd probably heal faster"

Rolling her eyes, Betty whacks him on the arm, growing concerned when he appears to be hurt.

"Easy, babe. I just got hit by your big bad brother."

'Serves you right for picking a fight with a trained CIA agent.'

"This is the thanks I get for coming to your rescue. I'm here injured because I was trying to save you from what I thought was a Casanova cowboy," Reggie grumbles.

'You were really worried about me, weren't you?' Betty tilts her head to the side as she considers his profile. 'Even with the bruises and cuts, he's still pretty cute' she thinks silently.

Reddening slightly, Reggie tries to 'defend' himself, "Well I heard you scream, and some older ranch hand had his arms around you when I walked in. What was I supposed to think?"

'A horseshoe had fallen on my head, and Chick was just concerned.'

"Yeah I didn't KNOW that was Chick, did I?"

'If you really thought I was in danger, why didn't you run and get help, or call the police?'

Reggie pauses at this. A valid question. Somehow, though, the sight of Betty in the arms of someone else had caused him to see red, and to be honest he'd wanted to punch Hal ever since he saw him supposedly flirting with Betty that morning. He'd been jealous, and he didn't really know why. He couldn't admit that to Betty, though. Not yet. Not until she got that carrot headed jerk out of her head. IF she got that carrot headed jerk out of her head. As he sees Betty looking expectantly for an answer, though, he finds he can't lie to her.

"I just saw red, Bets. The idea of him, bringing you out there… you're not like the others Bets."

'I-I'm not?'

"Of course not. You're one in a million, Bets."

Betty can't help it. She leans over suddenly to give him a hug and a peck on the cheek. Instinctively, as she moves closer, he puts his arm around her and they sit for awhile, snuggling in silence.

'Reggie Mantle being sweet, who would have thought it?' Betty thinks to herself as she looks up at the boy with her.

'Reg?'

"Hmmm?" Reggie is enjoying the feel of her body against is chest and her soft hair against his cheek.

'Why'd you get so mad when you found out Hal had asked me to come out to meet him?' Betty looks up innocently at him, curious. She's unaware that she's asked a very loaded question. Reggie pauses for a moment before responding.

"Honestly?"

'Yes?'

"I was disappointed. I didn't want to think of you as the kind of girl who would sneak out in the middle of the night to a barn with a random hunk. Especially one who you'd just met that morning. I thought – I KNOW you're better than that."

'You think pretty highly of me, don't you?'

"Of course I do, Bets," unconsciously, Reggie holds her tighter as he speaks, his eyelids growing heavy, "_YAWN_ like I said, you're one in a million…"

When he doesn't get a response from Betty, Reggie looks down to see her fast asleep against his chest. "She looks like an angel" he muses as he watches her, not having the heart to wake her up. Slowly, his eyelids start to close, as he drifts into a restful slumber.


	7. Chapter 7

At the Cooper-Townsend household, Jim is the early riser. He'd set his alarm for 6am the night before, to head out and take some wildlife photos before breakfast. Kissing his sleeping wife gently on the forehead, Jim heads down the stairs of their rented ranch, starting when he sees the pair of sleeping teenagers on the couch.

"This'll be one to show the grandkids" he quietly sniggers to himself as he takes a few portrait shots of Betty and Reggie. After debating with himself for a moment, he quietly nudges Betty awake. As his sister in law starts and blushes, realizing how she spent the night, Jim whispers teasingly,"You might want to get Romeo out of here before your dad wakes up." Laughing quietly at the look of panic on Betty's face, Jim walks out the door, musing, 'Easiest five bucks I ever made'.

Terrified, Betty shakes Reggie awake, half noting his cute, tousled look. He doesn't seem willing to open his eyes and pulls her close to him, resting his head on hers and going back to sleep. In a panic, she starts to poke him hard in the ribs.

Reggie, meanwhile, is enjoying this. He'd actually woken up before Jim came down, but seeing Betty asleep in his arms, he promptly closed his eyes again. She was cute when she was panicking. After a few minutes, he decided she'd had enough and proceeded to feign surprise.

'Oof… wha? Bets? Where am I?'

"You fell asleep here… and Daddy's going to be up in an hour" Betty is ready to scream, but she doesn't want to wake anyone up.

Shit. He had forgotten about her parents. As another troubling thought occurs to him, Reggie suddenly sits up in fear.

"Fuck. And your brother wanted to talk to me after I got back from walking you home. I'm too young to die!"

Betty, knowing her brother, has widened her eyes in fear as well. 'Could I come along to help explain? He probably won't hit you in front of me.'

"No way, Bets."

'But-'

"No. I'm not having you fight my battles for me. I'm facing this _(gulp)_ like a man"

Betty is stunned by this. Archie was usually the first to rely on her and Veronica to get him out of scrapes with their fathers. 'You learn something new about a person everyday' she muses to herself as she walks him to the door.

"Hey, Bets?" Reggie pauses at the front porch, slightly uncertain.

'Yes?'

"If I'm still alive, would you like to go dancing at the saloon in town tonight?"

'Sure' Betty smiles. The huge grin on his face surprises her, particularly since his bruises from the previous night's fight are starting to show, and she knows smiling that hard has got to hurt.

Nervously, Reggie decides to approach the barn directly to look for Chick.

"With any luck, he'll be asleep and I'll be home free. He'll think I got in while he slept."

Unfortunately, Betty's secret agent brother is pacing the barn, looking murderous.

'I told you to walk her home, not SLEEP with my baby sister!'

"I didn't! Well I did, but I didn't! Dude you gotta believe me, I'd never do THAT with Betty!" Although it would be unmanly to admit it, Reggie is quaking slightly. Chick Cooper may not be as hulking as Big Moose, but he was still pretty built. Besides, as a secret agent he's probably trained in hundreds of different ways of killing a guy… and disposing of the body.

'Talk, Mantle' Chick's tone is sour.

"O-ok… I walked Betty home like I said I would, and she invited me in to fix me up. You know, clean my cuts, that sort of thing. We were talking, and kind of fell asleep on the couch" Reggie's tone turns slightly dreamy at the memory. If he HAS to die, at least he'll go with the image of Betty in his arms imprinted in his head, and the light fragrance of her shampoo on his face.

In spite of himself, Chick Cooper finds himself softening. He'd been eyeing this kid's every move, particularly around Betty in the last couple of days, and had been pleasantly surprised. This wasn't the Reggie Mantle who used to hide wind up mice in her desk, and chatted up every little girl in Riverdale Elementary. While Chick was still pretty protective of his kid sister, he had a good feeling about this one.

'Watch it next time' Chick finally says gruffly. It's his job to let this kid know that if he EVER hurt Chick's sister in any way, he'd be in trouble. BIG trouble. 'Betty's not like other girls,'

"You don't have to tell me that! I mean… yeah…" Reggie has turned slightly red as he realizes who he's talking to.

'Poor kid' Chick thinks silently to himself as he regards Reggie's flustered demeanor, 'not even dating yet and he's already whipped'

'You'd better get back in before your mom and dad wake up'

"Y-yes sir" Reggie turns to leave. If it had been anyone else, Reggie Mantle would have probably knocked a couple of his teeth in, CIA agent or not, but the fact that Chick was Betty's brother makes Reggie want to make a good impression.

'And Reg..'

"Yeah?"

'Be at the field at 1 for those roping lessons I promised.'

"You're alright Chick Cooper" Reggie punches the fist held out by Chick before heading back towards the house, whistling.


	8. Chapter 8

Reggie whistles slightly as he removes the saddle from his horse. Chick had gone over to visit his family, and he'd spent the day riding around the ranch. There was something about the great open spaces that calmed him, and he'd always loved riding. It's been a week since his run in with Chick, both their black eyes had started to heal, and they had become fast friends. Chick usually took Betty and Polly out for an hour or two every morning, before bringing Betty back to the ranch. She would usually seek him out, and the two teens would often end up spending the whole day together. It was so easy to lose track of the time whenever Betty was around; the previous day Reggie had taken her riding up to a nearby lake, where they decided on the spur of the moment to rent a boat. Later, they had sat by the lake and talked; it was past midnight before Reggie even thought to look at his watch and high tail it back to face an irate Hal Cooper (Senior). Around Betty, Reggie can completely relax and be himself; something he hasn't really done in years.

_Flashback_:

_Reggie and Betty are sitting by the river bank. They've rolled up their jeans to dip their feet in the cool water, and are talking over paper cones of fish and chips and bottles of soda._

"_Reg… can I ask you something?"_

'_Shoot'_

"_You're a really nice guy. You can be pretty sensitive, brave, and kind when you want to be. Like when you spent your Christmas paycheck buying toys for the toy drive."_

'_That's me. I'm the greatest'_

_After shoving him lightly at his smart aleck comment, Betty continues, "Then why don't you let anyone see it. Why do you insist on having this reputation as a jerk?"_

_Reggie considers her question briefly. No one had ever thought to question WHY he was the way he was before, they'd just dismissed him as a bad egg. Looking into Betty's blue eyes, he decides to be honest with her._

'_I've never really hidden who I am. I just… don't advertise some of the things I do. I don't buy toys for kids to get recognition or attention, I do it because I want to. I do like playing pranks, being a wiseguy and a class clown; I'm not going to deny that. I love to have a laugh, but my jokes don't usually hurt anyone. No one really bothers to see past the pranks and the wisecracks, though.'_

_Betty is startled at this; Reggie is usually surrounded by adoring fangirls, yet the immense loneliness in his voice gets to her. She takes his hand in hers, rubbing it reassuringly with her thumb as he continues, 'You know you're the first person in over seventeen years to actually ask that question?'_

"_I don't know what to say, Reg… I guess kids and teenagers do tend to be too quick to judge people"_

'_Yeah, well… c'est la vie, right' Reggie looks at Betty with a brittle smile. He's not used to opening up on this level. Sensing this, Betty leans in and pulls him into a long, tight hug._

"_Just for the record, I never thought of you as just a wiseguy."_

'_You- didn't?'_

"_Don't get me wrong… I DID think you could be an arrogant jerk at times, but I knew you had a good heart, deep down. Besides, some of your pranks WERE pretty funny… like last week when you stole the bio lab skeleton and hid it in the boys' locker room, with Dilton's holograms"_

'_Haha Carrot top screamed like a girl when he saw it…'_

"_Hey… I'm insulted."_

'_Ok, I take it back.' Reggie smiles at her, 'No girl could be THAT shrill…'_

"_Not even Ronnie, when you gave her that grape soda in the dribble glass?"_

'_Is it MY fault she wears dry clean only blouses?' Reggie blinks innocently as they laugh together._

Reggie is snapped out of his reverie by a familiar voice.

"REGGIE! GUESSWHATGUESSWHATGUESSWHAT?"

'Someone's had an overdose of sugar this morning' Reggie beams at the excited blonde.

"Polly and Jim are driving us up to Six Flags in Arlington tomorrow morning!"

Reggie is amused. Despite her goody two shoes reputation, Betty has always been a sucker for high speed rides. Reggie remembers the last Riverdale Carnival, where she'd tried to drag old Arch on some of the roller coasters. He'd pleaded sick after the first ride, and had gone off with Veronica, leaving Reggie to quite willingly accompany Betty on the little cars, spiraling and plunging to her heart's content. Reggie had quite a fondness for roller coasters after that.

'I guess this means I won't be seeing you tomorrow,' Reggie is slightly disappointed. Somehow, during this trip, he'd become used to seeing Betty everyday; a dangerous habit, but one that was too pleasant to give up.

"Jim said you could come."

'You sure, Bets?' Reggie doesn't want to pass up a chance to see Betty, but he also doesn't want to intrude on any Cooper family bonding time.

"Come on, Reg… Jim, Polly and Chick want you there… unless?"

'Unless?'

"Unless you're SCARED of the coasters. Apparently the ones at six flags put the Riverdale roller coasters to shame!" Betty looks up at him with devilish eyes. Reggie Mantle could never resist a challenge, and she knows it.

'Pfft… who do you think I am, Andrews?'

"There's nothing wrong with being scared, Reg"

'Reggie Mantle is afraid of nothing' grabbing her hand, Reggie leads her out of the barn to where her brother is waiting.

"That must have been one complicated saddle, Mantle. You'd make one lousy cowboy," Chick observes with a smirk as Reggie colors slightly.

'I'd make a better cowboy than you, Cooper. Your sister was talking to me about Six Flags, is all…'

"We leave at 8am. So if you can't drag your ass out of bed because you've taken my kid sister out past curfew again, we're not waiting" Chick is smiling, but his tone has a light note of warning. He may like Reggie, but this was still his kid sister.

'Yes sir, Mr. Secret Agent sir' Reggie does a mock salute as he leads Betty out to the driveway. His father is letting him use the family car today, and he wants to drive up to Austin with Betty.

In the car, Betty is chattering excitedly about the gang back in Riverdale.

"Can you BELIEVE Ron actually stuffed Jughead into a tux, and got him to take her to the country club ball?"

'Old Spindle snoot? Really? She couldn't do better?'

"Stop it! Juggie's really a nice guy."

'Ron doesn't usually look for 'nice' in a guy, Bets… especially not for country club shindigs'

"I could say the same about you, Reg"

Reggie pauses at this. It WAS true that he usually dated girls who were good looking, vain and vapid. But it also was true that he'd never really had a chance with the nice girl he really wanted.

"I'm a changed man, Bets."

Betty quirks an eyebrow at this. He'd been playing pranks until the last day of school. Even just before finals, he'd rigged a projection of Archie falling face first on Moose's chocolate cake in the cafeteria in all the exam halls. But she had noticed he didn't seem to be hitting on Midge, or on any girl really all year.

'Why, though?'

Reggie gives her a long look as he drives.

"Maybe I've grown up a little. Learned what I want."

Betty's breath seems to hitch as she senses something in his eyes.

'Which is?'

Leaning over to trace little circles on the back of her hand, Reggie takes a deep breath, psyching himself to speak.

"I… I want someone nice. Someone who would actually care for me, not what I could give them, someone whose capable of looking beyond the surface. Someone smart, beautiful and sweet." Reggie gives her a piercing look as he speaks, causing her heart to thump irrationally.

'I… wow, Reg. I had no idea you were this… sensitive.' Betty is impressed. 'Is this Reggie Mantle?' she thinks quietly.

"Don't get me wrong, babe. She'd have to be hot, too…" Reggie smirks back, slightly flustered at the way Betty is looking at him.

'Aand… he's back.' Reggie flashes his cocky, lopsided grin as he expertly maneuvers the car into a narrow parking lot. As Betty fumbles with her seatbelt, he jumps out of the car and holds the door open for her.

"After you, my lady" Reggie bows theatrically as Betty sticks her nose in the air and walks out of the car before cracking up as she takes his hand. Somehow over the summer, they had developed the habit of holding hands whenever they are alone together. It's almost unconscious, and to strangers they look like an attractive young couple. Hand in hand, they walk into a little Thai restaurant by the University of Texas for lunch.


	9. Chapter 9

_I don't want another pretty face, I don't want just anyone to hold –_

Betty's cell phone goes off, causing her to blush as Reggie raises an eyebrow at her choice of ringtone.

"Jesse McCartney, Bets? Really?"

'I just… it's how I always wanted Archie to see me. That's why I programmed it for when he calls.' For some reason, Betty isn't as thrilled as she would expect to be at Archie's call. She hasn't even answered yet.

"That's Arch calling?" Reggie's mood has suddenly darkened considerably. "Don't tell me he wants you to make him cookies and Fedex them over. No, wait, he's having car trouble and he wants you to talk him through how to fix it"

'Er… Reg?' Betty leans across the table and puts his hand over his. Instinctively, he closes his fingers around her palms as he tries to cool down.

Heaving a big sigh, he finally speaks in a calm(ish) voice, "Sorry about that, Bets. Aren't you going to pick up?"

'W-ell… I'm out with you. It's kind of rude' For some reason, Betty is reluctant to leave the table to answer the phone. A part of her is afraid to talk to Archie; she's felt so free in the last week or so, and somehow she thinks talking to Archie might change all that. Unlike on her previous (few) vacations, the red head had hardly entered her mind.

"No worries babe. Answer the phone. Carrot top wouldn't call unless it was important."

'I guess…I should probably call him back.' Betty looks apologetic and strangely hesitant as Reggie broods by the table, mumbling about dumb carrots.

Outside the restaurant, Betty dials Archie's familiar number.

"Hello?"

'Hey, Arch. You called?'

"Er… yeah. Haven't heard in awhile, so I thought I'd check in. The Caribbean is amazing, by the way."

'Haha, the sand, the sea and the beach babes right?' For some reason, Betty doesn't get jealous as a mental image of Archie surrounded by bikini clad girls pops into her head. 'Interesting.' She thinks to herself as Archie speaks.

"Haha you got THAT right. Although Moose is pretty stiff competition.."

'Moose? He won the contest too? That's interesting, although knowing him he probably wouldn't give the girls there the time of day.'

"Tell me about it. It's such a waste, considering he could probably get any girl he wants out here. I wonder why he doesn't get this much attention back home?"

'It's because we all know he's crazy about Midge. It would be pointless to fight THAT losing battle'

"Doesn't stop Reg from hitting on Midge…"

'Midge doesn't exactly discourage him…' A knot had formed in Betty's stomach at Archie's last statement, and her response was curt.

"I guess it's easy to take a good thing for granted when you know it's yours"

Betty rolls her eyes at this. Archie should definitely know what he's talking about with this one. 'I guess so. Hey Arch, I have to go. Reggie's waiting for me before we order and- '

"You're with Reg?"

'Yeah… his family happened to be at the ranch down the street from ours. Why?'

"Hmmm. Nothing. Ron's been out with Jug pretty often too, according to Midge."

'And?'

"And… nothing. Hey Bets?"

'Yeah?'

"I really miss you. Can't wait til we're both back in good old Riverdale."

'Er… yeah. Me too. I'll see you in a couple of weeks.'

Hanging up the phone, Betty sits opposite a very bitter Reggie Mantle. Awkward silence reigns at the table until Reggie bursts out.

"Let me guess… he wanted to borrow money to take out some island chick."

'No, actually. He just wanted to talk.'

Reggie's heart sinks as she speaks, and he looks carefully at her face to gauge her response.

"Really?"

'He said Moose was getting quite a bit of female attention out there.'

Reggie snorts at this. "Moose? He considers Moose competition?"

'Hey… like I told Archie, no Riverdale girl hits on Moose because we all know he's crazy about Midge. If he wasn't, there'd be a long line of girls waiting to get his attention.'

In response to Reggie's quirked eyebrow, Betty continues, 'He's athletic, good looking, and really sweet. He may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but he's loyal and trustworthy. Most girls do respect that.'

"When you put it that way, I might want to give up on Midge and ask old Moose out myself" Reggie wiggles his eyebrows suggestively as Betty cracks up.

'I KNEW IT!'

Laughing, Reggie and Betty proceed to order their food, all tension dissipated. As the day goes by, Reggie finds himself wondering why Betty hasn't started sighing and swooning over Archie's phone call, unaware that the blonde next to him is asking herself the exact same thing.


	10. Chapter 10

Betty hums to herself as she soaps up in the shower, the events of the last week running through her head. Somehow, since the trip to Austin with Reggie, she'd noticed something different about the way she saw her relationship with Archie. He'd texted her several times during the week, but somehow, she didn't feel that thrill that she would normally experience whenever she saw his name in her inbox. He'd also called the night before, in the middle of her conversation with Reggie, but she'd just humored him with a few minutes of conversation before calling Reggie back.

And as for Reggie… he was starting to surprise her. While she had been very close to him during the entire school year; they had even been voted prom king and queen during their junior prom, much to Veronica's chagrin, she was learning new things about him everyday while on vacation. At Six Flags, for example, while she knew he was as big a sucker for high speed rides as she was, he'd also sportingly agreed to ride the carousel and some of the more low key rides with Polly. He seemed to make an extra effort to get to know Polly and Jim, and he was joking around with Chick as if they were lifelong buddies. Archie had spent time with her parents on rare occasions (when she dragged him to Cooper family dinners or reunions) but had never managed to make a good impression. And he had never bothered to arrange to meet Polly whenever she visited; preferring to use the time when Betty was occupied to date Ronnie or Cheryl. Reggie, on the other hand, had secured an invite to visit Chick in Washington, and had invited Polly and Jim to go hiking up Sugar Mountain the next time they were in Riverdale. Despite the age difference, Betty was very close to her siblings, and she can't help but be happy that he genuinely seems to enjoy their company.

As she steps out of the shower, she smiles as she notices a new text from Reggie.

_Miss you already babe - Reg_

Flushing slightly, she quickly composes a reply.

_It's just one day, Reg. I'll be over tomorrow – Bets_

Reggie's reply is instantaneous.

_I'll be counting the minutes – Reg_

_If you don't lose count I owe you an ice cream – Bets_

_I'd rather have a kiss – Reg_

_How do I know you won't cheat? Bets_

_You don't… Do you trust me? Reg_

Betty ponders his latest reply. Does she trust him? If anyone had asked her this question a year ago, her answer would have been a resounding no. But lately, even before the summer… she'd gotten to know him a little better. She knew she could trust him not to lie to her, at least.

_It looks like you've got yourself a bet __ Bets_

After not receiving a reply for several minutes, Betty gets dressed. Chick is taking her and Polly for a hike today, and had declared "Only Coopers were invited." This meant no Jim and no Reggie. They were going to be out the whole day, while Jim and Reggie drove up to the lake to fish with Mr. Mantle and Cooper.

Reggie, on the other hand, had been slightly glum all day. It was the first time in two weeks that he was NOT waking up to the possibility of meeting his favorite blonde. It was almost pathetic the way he had moped around his room in the morning. Archie's phone call the previous night had also annoyed him – it was evident that Archie knew about Betty and Reggie's closeness and was trying to stake his claim, from a thousand miles away! Whether Betty could see that, Reggie wasn't sure. She had called him back fairly quickly, but he knew she had a soft spot for that carrot topped jerk. How many times, over the years, had she dumped him, only to melt at his first apologetic phone call, smile or gift? She didn't seem to be as giddy and excited every time she talked to him now, but Reggie didn't really dare to hope. Not unless he had something concrete to hope for.

Taking out his cell phone, he decides to send her a text. At risk of sounding like a lovesick puppy, he did miss her already. Before he knows it, his fingers have typed out those exact words and pressed 'send'. No turning back now.

Her reply makes him smile.

_It's just one day, Reg. I'll be over tomorrow – Bets_

Reggie decides to flirt a little. After all, Betty seems to be the only one he CAN flirt with right now, so why not?

_I'll be counting the minutes – Reg_

_If you don't lose count I owe you an ice cream – Bets_

That one was too easy.

_I'd rather have a kiss – Reg_

Reggie smiles as he types back. He can almost imagine her expression – her eyes would widen slightly before crinkling into a teasing smile as she types her response.

_How do I know you won't cheat? Bets_

_You don't… Do you trust me? Reg_

Her reply astounds him. Girls had told him they liked him, that he was hot, that he was a good kisser (hey –he didn't like to brag. OK he did, but in this case it was true), but no one had actually told him that they trusted him before. Until now. It wasn't as if Betty had sent a long text declaring her undying devotion to him and hatred of Carrot Top, but the fact that she trusted him even over a silly little bet was huge. He doesn't really know what to say that won't terrify Betty or make him sound like a wimp so he waits about an hour before typing his reply.

_Better get ready to pucker up, babe – Reg_

Grabbing his cell phone, he heads out to where his father and the remaining Cooper men are waiting in a rented Range Rover.

At the end of the day, the Range Rover pulls up into the Harris/Mantle driveway, where the exhausted but happy males haul their fish. Hal Cooper and Ricky Mantle had caught more and bigger fish than the younger boys, giving them the pleasure of crowing about how experience trumps youth any day and how they beat these young upstarts. Reggie, despite not getting to see Betty today, is pleased. He'd found Betty's dad to be an extremely likeable guy, and Jim was becoming a good friend, besides his occasional smart aleck remarks about Reggie's "sleeping habits" when his father in law was out of earshot. Reggie also notes with pleasure that his father and Mr. Cooper also have a lot in common, they had all even decided to watch the World Cup game after sweet talking Mrs Mantle and Cooper into cooking the fish they caught. Reggie genuinely enjoyed spending time with Betty's family, and he didn't understand why Archie always complained about the Cooper family reunions.

As they enter the house, however, Hal Cooper is alarmed to see his wife on the couch, crying and being comforted by Mrs. Mantle. The moment they catch sight of the new arrivals, Alice Cooper flies into the arms of her husband, sobbing uncontrollably. Mrs. Mantle starts to scold them, but her eyes are fixed on Reggie with a look of sympathy.

"WHY didn't ANY of you keep your cell phones on? We've been trying to call for an hour."

'We switched off our phones so we wouldn't scare the fish… and I guess we forgot to switch them back on for the drive… is everything OK?' Ricky Mantle is concerned. His wife looks to be on the verge of tears as well. Jim and Reggie are quiet. They don't know what to think, but are definitely worried. Reggie's heart stops as he hears Mrs Cooper utter a single word before sobbing again into her husband's shoulder.

'B-b-betty…'

AN: LOL I TOLD YA there would be drama! Cliffie time! whaddaya think? Hint: reviews help me write faster, and guesses are most welcome


	11. Chapter 11

Throughout the journey to the Houston General Hospital, Reggie is pale. His father has volunteered to drive the little group; Hal and Alice Cooper are too upset to get behind the wheel and Jim is on the phone trying to comfort his sobbing wife. Reggie's mother holds his hand worriedly, as his eyes keep darting towards the speedometer. Her words are ringing in his ears, as he tries to control his breathing.

_Flashback:_

'_M-mom… what happened?' Reggie's voice had come out slightly high pitched as he takes in the distraught Alice Cooper. 'Please let her be overreacting about a broken nail' He prayed silently to himself as all eyes turn towards his mother._

"_Betty's hurt. She's in Houston General Hospital, unconscious. We couldn't really make out what Polly was saying, but it sounded as if she hit her head… and Chick… well he's not taking it too well either"_

It had been twenty minutes since then, and Reggie hadn't been able to say a word. As Jim hangs up the phone, the car is silent, except for the sound of quiet sobs from the back seat.

At the hospital, Reggie jumps straight out of the car and barrels into the reception area, demanding to know which room Betty Cooper is in. The little group meet with a slightly calmer Polly outside the ward, and get a coherent, if tearful explanation.

'On our hike, Betty was looking at the flowers while Chick and I were horsing around… you know how much she loves wildflowers –' Polly tears up and has to pause awhile before she continues.

'Among the bushes, she saw the barrel of a gun aimed at Chick; she pushed him out of the way and got s-shot…'

"C-chick? But… is he OK, did they get him, too?" Alice Cooper looks about to faint. She doesn't know if she can deal with the idea of Chick being hurt too.

'He's fine… he managed to subdue the sniper pretty quickly once he heard the shot. It was an accomplice of the terrorist he had arrested at the rodeo'

'What did the doctor say?' Reggie is impatient, fists already formed at his sides. If Reggie had been there, he wouldn't have just subdued the guy and turned him over to the authorities, he would have pulverized him.

'The bullet only grazed her shoulder – she's out of danger. But she hit the back of her head on a rock when she fell. The doctors aren't sure when she's going to wake up.' Polly speaks quietly, holding her husbands hand tightly as her parents rush into Betty's room to see her. Reggie hangs back, unsure of whether he should be there but not wanting to leave. He doesn't want to intrude on Betty's parents' time with their daughter, especially when Mrs. Cooper is so upset. But Reggie is upset too, and he really REALLY wants to go in and see Betty. He's also getting slightly annoyed with his mother's well intentioned sympathetic glances. She's supposed to be feeling sorry for Betty, not him. Reggie Mantle also wishes he could have landed a few punches on the shooter. Frustrated, he decides to take a short walk around the hospital. He needs to be alone.

Reggie is seated by a bench in the hospital courtyard, his head in his hands, when he hears someone sitting beside him. Looking up, his red rimmed eyes meet those of Chick Cooper. The boys sit in silence for awhile, lost in thought.

"She was always the one to look after me, you know?"

'Yeah?'

"When I went off to college, she used to bake cookies and send them over to my dorm. She was only ten then, and her chocolate chip chewy cookies were so popular I had frat brothers insisting on waiting for her to grow up. I had to kick a few asses, even then" Chick's eyes are suspiciously bright as he falls silent. They sit quietly for awhile, before Reggie speaks.

'When I moved to Riverdale, she was the only kid to come over and say hi. She brought mudpies and an invitation to the playground. She had the cutest little pigtails then.'

"Which was why you were always throwing snowballs at her"

'Are you telling me you never threw a snowball at a cute girl in YOUR day?'

The boys smile ruefully at each other.

"It's all my fault"

Reggie raises an eyebrow and looks at his friend, disbelieving. The guilt in Chick's blue eyes shocks him, and Reggie wishes he knows quite what to say. Unfortunately, the only person who WOULD know what to say to Chick is in a hospital bed right now.

"I should have known about the accomplice, and arrested him too. None of this would've happened."

'Dude, how would you have known? You did the best you could with the intelligence you were given, right?'

"I guess…"

'Then it's not your fault'

'I WOULD have liked to kick his ass, though…'

"I know what cell they're keeping him in…" Chick and Reggie look at each other, slightly mischievous half smiles forming on their faces before Chick sighs.

"Betty wouldn't want us to, though…"

'Dude she's not dead!'

"I know… but she still wouldn't want it."

Veronica Lodge marches to her parents bedroom. She doesn't care that it's almost midnight, and that her daddy has a business meeting in the morning. This is important.

'Dadeeeee'

Mr. Lodge pulls the covers over his head, grumbling slightly. Maybe if he ignores her, she'll go away. Her wheedling tone grows more insistent as she knocks on the door again.

'Dadddeeeeeeeeeeee'

"You'd better open the door, if you plan on getting any sleep tonight, dear." Hermione Lodge knows her daughter's stubbornness. And it must be important if she's knocking on the door so late; she usually saves her outrageous demands for the dinner table, at least.

Muttering something about spoilt children and boarding school, Hiram Lodge tugs on a dressing gown (he's too rich to be seen in pajamas, even by his own daughter) and opens the door.

'Yes, princess?'

'I'm using your private jet in the morning. Just thought I'd let you know, being the considerate daughter that I am.'

'H-huh? But princess, I NEED it to get to New York for my meeting.'

'You can always use the helicopter. This is IMPORTANT.' Veronica's lip has started to jut out in a pout that usually turns her father to a puddle within a couple of minutes.

"What could possibly be so important that you felt the need to wake us up AND change your father's traveling arrangements?" Veronica's mother isn't as susceptible to her daughter's pouts and whines as her husband. As Veronica explains, however, both her parents annoyed expressions change to genuine concern.

'Are you sure I shouldn't cancel my meeting? She's like a second daughter…'

"I'll cancel my appearance at the charity bazaar and fly down with you. I have to see the poor dear, and Alice must be out of her mind with worry."

As soon as she's made arrangements with her parents on the flight details, she heads back to her room and picks up the phone, punching in a now familiar number.

'OK, Jones, get your bags packed. We leave for Houston at 9.

AN: I don't think Veronica would stay in Riverdale, knowing Betty was hurt. I like to think that deep down, she really does care for her best friend. Please r/r!


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning, Veronica arrives at the Houston General Hospital with her mother and Jughead in tow. At the reception area, they run into Polly Cooper-Townsend, also hurrying into the hospital with dark circles under her eyes. As they walk towards Betty's room, Polly fills Veronica in on the details of the previous night.

"And the doctors told us they can't do anymore tests until she's awake, and they don't know how long it will be before she wakes up"

'What kind of quack doctors run this place, anyway? We should fly her in to Riverdale, where we could have Daddy's top surgeon look at her. Or I could fly him in here – '

'I suspect he's going to say the same thing, Ron. These head injuries are tricky' Jughead sounds defeated, and squeezes Veronica's hand before she can say more.

"My mom and dad are in the hospital cafeteria if you want to see them," Polly turns to Mrs. Lodge and speaks quietly. "Mom could probably use a friend right now. Dad and Jim had to practically force her to go home and get some rest last night, and they came in early this morning. She's really upset, and-"

'I'll definitely go and speak with her' Mrs. Lodge's voice is gentle as she hugs Polly. Alice Cooper had become a close friend over the years, and had often given her good parenting advice with regards to Veronica. In the early years when Mr. and Mrs. Lodge had to travel frequently for business, Alice had acted as a surrogate mother for Veronica. Giving her daughter's shoulder a squeeze, Hermione Lodge walks off in search of her friend.

Veronica and Jughead arrive outside Betty's room and are shocked as they peep in. Reggie Mantle is slumped in a chair by Betty's bedside, holding her hand as he sleeps.

"He camped out here all night. Refused to go home with his parents, with me when I was dropping off her parents, with Chick and Polly when they left… Poor kid"

Jughead narrows his eyes and peeps again at the sleeping Reggie, as he slowly starts to gain respect for his former enemy. Well, Archie's former enemy, really, and his by default.

"I don't think he's eaten anything since lunch yesterday" Polly's voice is hesitant, "Do you think we should wake him up?"

'NOT EATEN ANYTHING? THIS IS SERIOUS!' marching into the room, Jughead Jones shakes Reggie awake roughly.

"Wha- Spindle Snoot? What are YOU doing here?" Reggie takes a minute to register where he is, and can't figure out how Jughead had ended up in Texas.

'Ron and her mom flew me over. Now get your ass out of the chair, Mantle. We're getting you something to eat.'

"I'm not leaving her."

Sighing, Jughead pulls up a chair next to Reggie and sits down. 'There's nothing you can do, Reg.'

In a completely uncharacteristic move, Reggie buries his head in his hands and starts to cry softly. Jughead is unused to tears (especially from teenaged boys and ESPECIALLY from Reggie Mantle), but after a moment of panic, decides to pat his friend on the back and speaks in what he hopes is a soothing voice.

'Reg, getting yourself sick isn't going to help Betty. She'd probably be really upset if she saw you here, crying, not eating… you have to take care of yourself for her.'

After a few minutes of silent sobs, Reggie looks up, surprised to see genuine sympathy in Jughead's eyes instead of the expected insults.

'Her brother and sister, not to mention Veronica are waiting outside to see her too, I think it's time you took a break, Reg'

Almost as if in agreement with Jughead, Reggie's stomach growls. "Trust old Spindle Snoot to telepathically communicate with every stomach in the world" Reggie grumbles to himself as he acknowledges Jughead's point. To his friend's vast relief, he gets up and moves to the door, before stopping suddenly.

"Oh, Jug, you do know if you tell anyone I was crying in there, I'm going to kick your ass."

'Yes, Reggie' Jughead dutifully rolls his eyes. He wasn't going to say anything anyway; maybe it was all this time he was spending with Ronnie, but he actually felt sorry for the guy.

"Good man. And Jug?"

'Yeah?'

"Thanks…"

Jughead is still pinching himself as the two boys make their way to the hospital cafeteria, in search of something ALMOST edible.

In the cafeteria, Reggie and Jughead are actually having a decent conversation over burgers, for once. They swap stories about the past year in school, and the summer so far. Jughead has ALMOST managed to cheer Reggie up as he laughs at him for mistaking Betty's brother for a pedophilic cowboy, when they are joined by a sniffling Veronica. Wordlessly, she sits beside Jughead as he pulls her into a fierce hug, kissing the top of her head and whispering reassuring words as Reggie raises an eyebrow. This was a new development.

'I'm – I'm sorry, Reggie' Veronica blushes as she speaks, 'But she just looks so helpless lying there. This IS Betty we're talking about – star of the baseball, basketball and soccer teams. And now she's just lying there –' Veronica lets out another choked sob as Jughead pulls her into another hug.

Reggie, on hearing Veronica's words, almost feels like crying himself. Swallowing hard to keep his tears at bay, Reggie stares at his plate, wondering what Betty would have to say about the obvious new couple in front of him. Trying to distract himself, he starts to enquire about his other Riverdale friends.

"D-does anyone else from home know about this?"

'Chuck, Nancy, Dilton, Frankie, Maria, Midge and Ethel made a video for her, Chuck made a card as well. Midge wanted to come actually, but she was too upset over the Moose issue.'

"What Moose issue?" In spite of himself, Reggie is curious. He has no zero interest in Midge, but he HAD always considered them to be one of the 'power' couples of Riverdale High.

Sighing, Jughead answers, 'He called from his trip and gave her an ultimatum – either she commits to him a hundred percent, or he moves on. Apparently he's discovered how popular he really is with girls. He loves Midge though, and hopes she chooses him, but won't stand for being toyed with anymore.'

"Whoa. I guess the big lug is smarter then we give him credit for. Seriously, though, it would be a pity if things didn't work out. I kind of hope she does make the right decision"

Veronica looks at Reggie with widened eyes – the old Reggie would have picked up his phone and called Midge immediately with a few corny one liners. Jughead isn't surprised though – he's noticed Reggie's lack of interest in Midge and most other girls (except for Betty) all semester. He just hopes Reggie decides to tell Betty how he feels before the first week of school – he's got a hundred bucks riding on this.

"Don't look so surprised, Ron. People change. You of all people should know that" Reggie smirks knowingly in her direction as twin blushes stain the cheeks of his companions. Again, he wishes Betty was around to see this.

"Does… does Archie know about Betty?" Reggie is almost afraid of the answer. He doesn't know if he wants Archie flying down to be with her, especially since knowing his luck, he'd walk in just as she woke up and she would think he'd been here all along. He also knows that with Ron apparently off the market, Archie would renew his interest in Betty, maybe even make a commitment.

Jughead's eyes drop to the table as Veronica takes his hand in reassurance, before speaking in a low voice, 'Archie isn't really taking my and Ronnie's calls right now…'

"Oh… OH…" Reggie nods, looking at Jughead in a rare moment of sympathy. Archie and Jughead had been best friends for years, and it was undoubtedly hard for him to have Archie so angry with him. On the other hand, Archie had made no commitment to Veronica, Betty or any other girl, and Veronica was free to choose who she wanted to date.

"Give ol' Arch time… once he gets back to Riverdale and falls head over heels for Cheryl Blossom or Ginger Lopez, you guys'll be buds again…"

Seeing the sad look on Jughead's face, however, Reggie decides Veronica would probably need to be alone with him to cheer him up properly. Giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder, Reggie stands up to leave, before changing his mind and addressing his friends.

"Just so you guys know… I'm on your side"

With his trademark smirk, Reggie heads off in the direction of the hospital gift shop, leaving a very surprised couple in the cafeteria.

AN: I thought if Ron and Jug are going to be together, Reggie and Jug should become proper friends, too. Thanks for the reviews, and let me know what you think of this chap – I'm still figuring out how I want this fic to end.


	13. Chapter 13

Betty is lying still in a hospital bed. She's been there for three days now, in a haze. She heard her mother and sister crying that first night, and wished she could wake up and hug them. She wanted to get up on that first day and give her brother a hug as he apologized over and over again by her bedside. And Reggie… she'd wanted to laugh at the way he hid behind her bed when the interns were doing their ward rounds each night, having gotten into a fight with the doctor on night duty the first night for insisting on staying past visiting hours. Once, he'd even "borrowed" a stethoscope and pretended to check her pulse when a nurse came in. She wanted to hold him as he cried by her bedside, and to smile as he kissed her hand on occasion. She couldn't, though. For some reason, try as she might, she couldn't open her eyes. She could only listen.

"Betty Cooper you wake up right now!" Veronica is trying to play hardball. Usually when she demands something, she gets it. Unfortunately, Betty IS also one of the few who doesn't respond to her petulant side. Sighing, she sits by her best friend, looking at her lying in bed with her eyes closed.

"You have to wake up, what am I going to do without you?"

As she doesn't get a response, she proceeds to fill Betty in on some of the things that are going on back in Riverdale, and in the hospital.

"Moose gave Midge an ultimatum – either commit to him, or he's breaking up with her. She was shocked, and pretty scared. I think she just took him for granted before, but deep down she really does love him. Remember what she did to Cheryl Blossom when she found out she was making a play for Moose?" Veronica smiles sadly at the memory.

"And hey… you need to wake up to see your phone; you have five missed calls from Archie. When you wake up, he's all yours. I realized this summer the only reason I wanted him was because of the competition with you and Cheryl" Veronica chokes back a sob as she continues, "But I don't want to compete with you anymore. I've moved on. Isn't that what you always wanted?"

After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, Veronica's gaze lands on Reggie's sunglasses by Betty's bedside table. "Although if Archie doesn't interest you enough to wake you up, you might consider dating Reggie" smiling slightly, she continues, "the poor boy has been an absolute wreck since you've been here. He refuses to go home, camps out by your bedside every night. Your parents, Polly, Chick, Jug and I have to kick him out every time we want to visit with you alone. And Juggie's actually looking after him; he gets him food, makes sure he gets home for a quick shower in the afternoons – never thought you'd see the day, right?"

"And I wish you could wake up so I could TALK to you about what's going on with Jughead and me. I need the advice of my best friend! Midge is no good – she's all busy crying over Moose, and Ethel would probably beat me up. And I don't trust Cheryl not to try and sabotage things, just out of spite. Betty… wake up… we need you… I need you…"

Her eyes filling with tears, Veronica rushes out of the room into Jughead's waiting arms as Reggie enters.

"Hey, beautiful, how're you doing?" Reggie musters a charming smile as he bends over to drop a kiss on the patient's forehead. He sits in "his" chair by the bed, taking her hand and drawing circles with his thumb as he looks at her.

"OK, bad idea, you're not going to reply, I get that. But you can't stop a guy from hoping, right?"

"Bets, this stinks. We're supposed to be out enjoying our vacation right now. I was going to take you riding up to our favorite spot by the lake. We'd have rented a boat, I'd have brought my guitar, you would have packed a mean picnic lunch. And we could have had dinner at the fish and chips place you like. A moonlight ride back… " Reggie's eyes grow misty as he speaks.

"It's been 5760 minutes since we last went out; you trying to make me lose count or something? I thought Betty Cooper didn't cheat."

"Look, I know you're into fairy tales, but I always saw you as the Beauty and the Beast type. What are you doing playing Sleeping Beauty? You waiting for a prince charming to come kiss you before you wake up?" Betty wishes she could open her eyes to see Reggie's smirk as he speaks; she can almost predict what he's going to say next.

"Well, there isn't anyone here more charming than me, so I guess I'll have to do" Leaning forward, his heart thumping wildly, Reggie plants a gentle kiss on Betty's pink lips. Overcome with emotion, he whispers into her ear, "I love you, Bets."

Reggie's brown eyes widen in panic as he realizes what he's said, and he rushes out the room, past a very surprised Veronica and Jughead, out the door to his favorite bench where he sits, his head buried in his hands, groaning and attracting the attention of doctors passing by.

Fifteen minutes later, Chick Cooper and Jughead Jones are combing the hospital in search of Reggie. He's left his cell phone in Betty's room, and the boys are surprised that he's not there. It was usually hard for Jughead to pry him away from Betty's bedside. Even when Chick wanted to be alone to talk to his sister, which was often, Reggie would be loitering outside the door, waiting for his turn.

Chick is the first to spot Reggie, at the bench where they had talked a few days ago. Slightly worried about his new friend's troubled expression, he calls Jughead over, and the two boys sit down with him.

They sit in silence for awhile, Reggie resenting the presence of his well intentioned companions. Jughead and Chick, not knowing what is wrong, shoot each other questioning looks before Jughead finally speaks.

'Er, Reg? You OK in there?'

"Get lost Needle Nose, I think Ronnie's looking for you"

'Harsh… but she actually sent us to find you. What're you doing out here, anyway?'

Chick, noticing Reggies reddened complexion and recognizing the look of complete terror in his eyes bursts out laughing; the first real laugh he has had in three days.

'Dude you look like you saw Mr. Harris naked. Are you going to tell us what's wrong, or do I have to make an intelligent guess?'

Looking at Chick's quirked eyebrow, Reggie decides there's no point in hiding it. Chick probably could use some secret agent mind reading device or polygraph to get it out of him, anyway. And as for Jug… he'd been pretty decent the last few days. Besides, it looked as if he'd gotten Veronica Lodge, the girl with a different boyfriend for every day of the year (plus a spare for leap years) to commit to him. Maybe Jughead could actually offer him some good advice.

"I… told Betty I loved her" Reggie's voice is quiet as he looks to the ground. Jughead's eyes widen with shock as Chick cracks up on his other side.

'Is THAT what got you so bent out of shape, Mantle? You told my kid sister you loved her, while she's in a coma and probably couldn't hear you anyway?'

'You… love her? And you actually SAID so?" Jughead is flabbergasted. He'd known Reggie had developed serious feelings for Betty, but he had NEVER heard the L-word coming from Reggie's mouth, except in reference to himself. Even Archie had never told Betty he loved her, and they had been dating periodically since middle school.

"Yes…It's not funny dude. I didn't know I actually loved her… I thought… it was just a really really really strong crush."

'You want to add a few more reallys in there?' Chick chuckles, before sobering himself, 'Dude, I knew you loved her after our first conversation. I hope I wasn't that clueless when I was your age.'

"Easy for you to say… you don't have a red headed pirate just waiting back home to steal the girl of your dreams from under you… especially when his _usual_ choice is now taken."

Jughead gulps slightly, feeling bad. He knows Betty's feelings for Archie were stronger than Veronica's had ever been, but he somehow finds himself hoping Betty would choose Reggie. Betty was an amazing girl, and she deserves better than someone who only wanted to date her because Veronica was unavailable. Jughead doesn't say this, however, out of loyalty to his former best friend.

'Reg… you guys have been pretty inseparable over the last couple of months in school, and from what Ronnie tells me she WAS talking about you all the time over the phone while you were here. Who knows man, you could have a shot!'

'Besides, my sister is WAY out of that nerd's league' Chick scoffs. He'd never liked the way Archie had treated Betty, and was making no secret of it now.

"She's out of my league too" Reggie mumbles quietly, causing Jughead to choke on his chewing gum. Mantle the magnificent actually ADMITTING that he didn't deserve something? Jughead quickly pinches himself, then checks his calendar to make sure it isn't April Fools Day.

Chick, however, looks at Reggie with a smile. 'You're the only one that ever had the balls to admit that.'

'I guess that makes you the only one who actually does deserve her' Jughead is tentative. He does believe what he says, but he knows in supporting Reggie, he's effectively siding with Betty over Archie. Veronica induced arguments notwithstanding, Jughead had always been fiercely loyal to his redheaded friend. Helping Reggie with one of Archie's 'best girls' was going to take some getting used to, but he would do it for Betty.

Reggie, on the other hand, is silent. He knows it couldn't have been easy for Jughead to encourage him where Betty was concerned, especially considering his already strained friendship with Archie. The mere fact that it came from Jughead Jones does, however, make Reggie entertain the possibility that it could be true. Besides, the carrot head would probably hurt her again once he found someone flashier, in shorter skirts. Betty didn't deserve that. And Reggie actually _loved_ her.

"Thanks, spindle snoot"

'Anytime, meathead'

The two teenaged boys look at each other for a moment and smile, while Chick rolls his eyes. He needs to hang around with people his own age.

"What say we go back and sit with our favorite sleeping beauty? I think prince charming could plant a few on her in the interest of waking her up" Reggie's mischievous grin is back, while Jughead snickers and Chick glares. He may like Reggie, but that doesn't mean Reggie gets to kiss his sister.

'I don't think that'll be necessary, Mantle?'

"Come on… you don't want your sister to wake up?"

'We came to find you because she's already awake'


	14. Chapter 14

Reggie's eyes well up as he looks at his favorite blonde SITTING up in bed, being hugged by her mother, sister and best friend. When Chick had told him Betty was awake, his first reaction had been to stand still in complete shock. After a few seconds of disbelief, Reggie had run through the corridors to Betty's room, letting out a loud whoop, and narrowly avoiding crashing into an intern carrying files along the way. He wasn't Carrot Top after all. Chick and Jughead had followed, amused at his excitement. When Reggie burst through the door, he'd caught her eye and paused, allowing her mother, Veronica and Polly to get to her first. It was as though they both understood that they needed to talk when they were alone, and Reggie was more than happy to wait for an opportunity.

OK, he wasn't happy to wait. Veronica was clinging on to Betty in tears, and didn't seem likely to let go anytime soon. He rolls his eyes at Jughead who just shrugs, slightly pleased. Veronica's soft spot for Betty had been one of the things that had attracted him to her in the first place, and he was starting to find it cute when she was melodramatic. 'Cute? I REALLY need my head examined' Jughead chuckles inwardly as he watches.

"Glad to see you're alright, kiddo" Chick's voice is unusually gruff as steps forward and ruffles Betty's hair.

'Chick…' Betty's gentle voice comes out as soon as she's pried a crying Veronica off of her, 'You know this wasn't your fault…'

In a sudden movement, Chick pulls his sister into a fierce hug, whispering apologies as she strokes his hair, reassuring him over and over that she doesn't blame him.

Polly watches her brother and sister, and decides to lighten the mood by picking up Betty's phone and waving it in front of her face.

"Come on, Chick… you can't hog Betty all night. I think she's going to want to talk to someone who's clearly been missing her," she gives her sister a teasing look as Betty's stomach drops slightly. She's heard every word of what was said to her over the last couple of days, and knows who her sister is referring to.

Chick and Jughead exchange a look of panic as Reggie turns slightly red. He'd not bothered to answer the phone those nights when Archie had called, not wanting to waste his time talking to the stupid carrot when Betty needed him. If he was being honest with himself, he was also half afraid Archie would find a way to come down as well, shed a few tears and win Betty over with a few mushy kisses. Even the thought of Archie kissing Betty had made his blood boil.

In an attempt to change the subject, Jughead steps forward, giving Betty a huge, tight hug. Aside from Archie, Betty had been his best friend in Riverdale, and he had been as worried as Veronica when he'd heard.

'Juggyyyy…' Betty grins widely at him and hugs him again before ruffling his hair. Veronica frowns slightly as she watches them. Smirking slightly, Reggie reminds her, "You're HAPPY she's OK, remember?"

'Don't worry, Ron, Jug here is all yours. I can't afford to feed him' Betty smiles at her best friend while Jughead pretends to pout.

"Aw, man, Bets… I'm hurt. You didn't even attempt to fight for me!"

'Dude, you're taken, remember?' Reggie's voice has a light warning tone as Jughead and Veronica blush and Betty cracks up.

'Speaking of which, Ron, we have to schedule a sleepover for when we're all back in Riverdale. It looks like you've got a LOT to tell me' Betty raises an eyebrow at her friend, who starts to pull on her arm excitedly.

"What do you mean when we're all back in Riverdale. I could camp out here tonight, I'm SURE I can get the nurses to bring in an extra bed. We could order a pizza, watch some scary movies – even give each other manicures! And with the right music –"

Jughead's eyes widen as he imagines Veronica attempting to blast her favorite pop songs in a hospital for 'atmosphere.' He can just see her arguing with the nurses about how her daddy practically built the hospital and besides, the patients would probably get better more quickly now that they had some stimulation.

Betty and Reggie are entertaining similar thoughts as Betty's eyes grow round with fear and Reggie stifles a chuckle. Betty doesn't want to get kicked out of a hospital. And she doesn't want Veronica admitted into the psych ward either.

'Actually, Ron, shouldn't you be heading back to Riverdale tonight? Your mom probably has charity meetings she needs to attend and I'll be back in a week anyway.' Betty smiles as her friend pouts and Reggie's stomach starts to churn. He'd forgotten they were going back to Riverdale soon, and had started to enjoy having Betty to himself in Texas.

Reggie is snapped out of his reverie by a familiar tune coming from Betty's phone.

'It's Archie…' Betty's voice is more surprised than anything else. Polly and Veronica, however, do her squealing for her, while Chick, Jughead and Jim are casting Reggie sympathetic looks.

"I think Betty needs some privacy" Alice Cooper smiles at her teenaged daughter while ushering the squealing girls and quiet boys out of the room. She isn't sure she's happy about Archie's sudden renewed pursuit of her daughter – she'd seen her daughter home crying on dance days too many times to have a very charitable opinion of the red headed boy. Yet, if he was what Betty wanted, Alice Cooper wanted him for her. Reggie seems particularly surly as the little group walks towards the hospital cafeteria.

"Maybe she'll break up with him" Jughead tries to sound optimistic as the girls quiet down. Somehow in their excitement, they had forgotten about Reggie and his more than obvious feelings for Betty. Polly, in particular, feels quite bad for bringing up Archie's phone calls in the first place.

Meanwhile, Betty is surprised by the anger in Archie's voice when she answers the phone.

"What exactly have you been doing, Betty? Did you find some cowboy there to run off with? I've been CALLING and CALLING."

'Archie… I'm in the hospital' Betty's quiet voice meets with a brief silence on the other end of the line.

'Archie? Archie?'

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

'Ron and Jughead knew… they flew down to visit. Didn't they tell you?' Betty's brows are wrinkled with concern. Even though it was evident that Veronica and Jughead had hooked up, she didn't expect them to start ignoring Archie. Especially since Archie was Jughead's best friend.

"I haven't been taking their calls." The scorn in Archie's voice hurts Betty as well. Had he always been this selfish?

'Arch… they ARE your friends. And Veronica is free to date whoever she wants, considering you never really gave anyone a commitment.'

"Thank God I still have you, though"

'Excuse me?' Betty is offended. Not that her status as his second choice had ever been a big secret, but he didn't have to be quite so… blatant about it.

"Aw, Bets, you know what I mean. You're always there for me"

Betty is quiet at this. It's true; she has always been there for Archie. Often getting her heart broken, she would always cheer him up when he got rejected by other girls, hoping against hope that one day, he would appreciate her and give her what she deserved. Lately, even before the Texas trip, she'd had a hard time pushing away the niggling feeling that what she deserved was something better than what Archie Andrews could give.

Sighing, she finally speaks. "Archie… we need to talk"

Half an hour later, Reggie is off on his own, grumbling about red headed pirates again. The nurses were starting to be concerned, and wonder if they needed a straitjacket. An elderly matron had even come up to him and pressed a pamphlet into his hands entitled, "Bipolar Disorder and you".


	15. Chapter 15

The night before the Mantles and Coopers are due to return to Riverdale, Betty is slightly antsy. She and Reggie had simply picked up where they left off before her hospitalization; with the hand holding, the flirting, the late night conversations… yet somehow things felt different. She was only just starting to notice how her stomach seemed to flip whenever he was around, and how she mentioned his name in conversation an awful lot. Three times at dinner, she had asked her sister to pass the Reggie.

The annoying thing was there seemed to be some sort of unspoken agreement between the two teens not to mention what Reggie had said to her in the hospital. It's almost as if Reggie had wanted to pretend it never happened, or that he had been hoping Betty couldn't hear what was being said to her while she was unconscious.

"Stupid Reggie Mantle" Betty mutters under her breath as she stirs the brownie batter in front of her with renewed vigor. She'd always baked when she was upset or confused, and her family was complaining of the pounds they were putting on this week. Betty doesn't remember being this exasperated with him since the time he'd put sneezing powder on the cake she'd made for Archie in the second grade. And she had hit him then.

As she mixes the batter, a she slowly smiles. Separating the batter into two bowls, she proceeds to add the rest of the ingredients. There was only one way to get Reggie Mantle's attention.

Meanwhile, down the road, Reggie is being given a talking to by Chick for "wussing out".

'Dude you're leaving tomorrow. And you KNOW she probably heard you. She knew about Ron and Jug, about me…'

"Ron's jealous glare probably gave her away. And it was written all over your face, dude. It isn't rocket science." Reggie knows he is clutching at straws, but he needs to buy some time. His plan had just been to show Betty what an awesome time she could have with him and NOT Archie Andrews, and didn't want to scare her off before he was sure of how she felt. She was sweet and considerate, but didn't fawn over him the way she'd had with Archie. Not that he wanted her to, but at least he would KNOW she was into him and now the red headed mess up.

'If she didn't hear, you need to tell her BEFORE you go back to Riverdale. If my sister goes steady with that knucklehead, I will fly back JUST to kick your ass' Chick is fuming. He does NOT like Archie Andrews. Never did, and probably never would, unless he stayed far, far away from Betty.

"It's not like I had a chance anyway"

Chick rolls his eyes. He can't believe he is actually wasting his time with this thick headed teenager. He is sure he has better things to do, but watching Reggie mope about the ranch with that lovesick puppy expression is driving him crazy. Plus, he does not want Betty to fall for Archie again. Apparently, he'd been calling every night since she woke up, sending texts about how he couldn't wait to meet her, how sorry he was for always taking her for granted. Chick suspects his apologies have more to do with Veronica and Jughead's relationship than anything else. He's about to really let Reggie have it when he catches a glimpse of a blonde ponytail at the entrance of the barn.

'Bets? What are you doing here at this time of the night? Do Mom and Dad know you're here?'

"How did you get here, anyway? Don't tell me you walked… alone… at night?" Both boys look horrified at the thought of Betty wandering around Texas in the dark. It _is_ close to midnight after all.

"Jim drove me" Betty smiles at her brother, but her eyes are fixed on Reggie. Chuckling slightly, Chick makes an excuse about an important phone call and leaves the barn, as the two teenagers stare at each other in silence.

Reggie is nervous. From the looks of things, Betty's late night visit means she wants to _talk_, and no good ever came out of girls _talking_. His eyes drop to the large plate she is holding.

"BROWNIES!" Nervousness forgotten, Reggie's eyes light up. He'd always been jealous of the goodies Archie was constantly receiving from Betty over the years, not just because they were delicious (which they were) but because they were made by Betty. Eagerly, he grabs the top brownie from the pile, biting into it as Betty hides a smile.

"WATER!" Reggie's cheeks turn red as Betty cracks up, following him as he dashes into the house. After he chugs down several glasses of cold water, he turns to Betty in shock and admiration.

"Betty Cooper just pranked me…"

"That's what you get for telling a girl you love her when she's UNCONSCIOUS, kissing her and pretending nothing's changed when she wakes up" Betty tries to glare, but the corners of her mouth are twitching.

Reggie's face flushes again, this time in embarrassment. He doesn't really know what to say. After a long silence, he responds quietly, "So you heard…"

The blonde teenager quirks an eyebrow, "If I hadn't were you never going to tell me?"

"I would have… eventually… I guess"

"You guess?"

"Listen, Bets, this isn't like-I mean, I've never actually FELT like this before- and you're not like other girls – and Andrews-"

Betty smiles slightly as she watches him attempt to stammer out a coherent response. She never thought she'd see the day when Reggie Mantle was genuinely nervous, especially about talking to a girl. It's sweet, and he is cute when he blushes. Impulsively, she walks towards him and pulls him down to kiss him lightly on the lips.

Almost on instinct, Reggie pulls her closer and deepens the kiss. Her arms encircle his neck as her lips melt against his, parting slightly to allow entry. Minutes pass as they explore each others' mouths with an urgency never experienced by either teen.

Eventually, they break apart, with identical glazed eyes and ragged breath. Betty's cheeks turn pink as she looks down, suddenly shy. She is forced to look up, however, as she feels a finger under her chin, pushing her face upwards.

"Bets… I meant what I said in the hospital. I love you. But," Reggie pauses and takes a deep breath, as if gathering the courage to speak further, "I-I think you should meet up with Carrot Top when we're back in Riverdale, and figure out how you feel about him"

In response to Betty's look of shock, Reggie explains further, "I've felt this way about you for a long time Bets, and I don't want to just be a summer fling. You-you've always loved Arch, and now that Ronnie is out of the picture you might actually have a chance with him. I think –"

Reggie is silenced by a pair of soft lips pressed against his own. Drawing back, Betty looks at him speculatively and speaks, "I broke up with Archie in the hospital"

"B-but… doesn't he still call you every night?"

"That's Archie… every time I try to move on, he suddenly realizes how he feels about me and starts giving me all this attention… until the next girl comes along. I was a sucker for him, but even before I ended up in hospital, I wasn't really looking forward to his calls. Adam said something to me last year before he moved away; he said I'd outgrown Archie. I hated to admit it at the time, but maybe I have. He's a good friend, but not what I want in a boyfriend."

Reggie tries desperately to quell the hope rising in his chest. Just because she seems to be over Andrews doesn't mean she's in love with him. He can't keep the grin from his face as she continues, "And… even before we came out here, I found myself looking forward to the time we spent together. I like talking to you, and I definitely like going out with you. Not many guys would fight with a doctor and pretend to be an intern just to camp out by my hospital bed"

Reggie blushes at this. She WOULD remember his embarrassing hospital moments. After regaining his composure, he decides it's time to be suave again, "Betty Cooper, are you saying you're in love with me?"

"I might be" Betty grins up at him. She doesn't know how he always managed to bring out her playful side, but she likes it.

"You might be, huh? Allow me to turn that into a certainty" Reggie pulls her towards him and kisses her, smiling tenderly as she looks up at him.

"Reggie Mantle, I'm not going to fall for a guy just because he's a good kisser"

"What about if he's an incredibly handsome, witty, intelligent star athlete/ actor/ debater?'

"You forgot modest"

"No, I forgot honest"

"I'll bet" looking up into Reggie's teasing eyes, Betty smiles suddenly, "It's pretty hard not to fall for a guy like that, especially if he sat by my bed day and night holding my hand when I was unconscious"

Clearing his throat, Reggie responds quietly, "I thought I lost you, Bets. I thought I'd never get a chance to tell you…"

"I love you too"

"Really?"

As Betty nods, she realizes she actually means it. She had loved Archie at one point, but her feelings for Reggie were more mature and consequently, more real. She could honestly say she had never felt as strongly for Archie as she does for the boy in front of her right now, even at the height of her Archie obsession.

Letting out a loud whoop, Reggie picks Betty up and carries her to the barn, where he plunks her beside his favorite palomino.

"Now we ride off into the sunset"

"The sun's already set. It's the middle of the night."

"The moonlight, then."

Giggling slightly, Betty allows Reggie to mount the horse and lift her up to sit behind him. They ride in the direction of the lake. Unlike in his dream, however, Reggie manages to turn around and kiss the girl of his dreams.

AN: It's over! I'm actually really sad this is done, I had a BLAST writing it. Thanks for the awesome reviews, and let me know if you want me to post the other two fics in the series.


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